Sonoya Mizuno & Nick Offerman to lead Devs tech thriller series for FX

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

I've got to say, this year's Television Critics Association press tour feels like the gift that keeps on giving. Over the past several days, the conference has served as a wellspring of information about what's coming to the small screen, with announcements related to upcoming seasons as well as the addition of some top-notch talent to some of your favorite programs. As a part of FX's panel, the network revealed that they've given a series order to DEVS, a tech thriller from the mind of Alex Garland (ANNIHILATION, DREDD, EX MACHINA). Set to lead the cast of DEVS is Sonoya Mizuno (EX MACHINA, CRAZY RICH ASIANS) and Nick Offerman (TV' PARKS AND RECREATION, FARGO), who will be joined by Jin Ha (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR), Zach Grenier (DEADWOOD, FIGHT CLUB), Stephen McKinley Henderson (LADY BIRD, LINCOLN), Cailee Spaeny (PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING, BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE), and Alison Pill (SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, MILK) for the eight-episode limited series.

When DEVS makes its FX debut, the show will focus on a young computer engineer, Lily (Mizuno), who investigates the secretive development division of her employer, a cutting-edge tech company based in San Francisco, which she believes is behind the disappearance of her boyfriend.

Here's a character rundown courtesy of Deadline:

For the show, Offerman will play Forest, the CEO of Amaya, whose obsession is the covert work of the company’s development division.

Meanwhile, Ha is Jamie, a gifted cyber security specialist, who is Lily’s former boyfriend.

Grenier will play Kenton. Terse, dry and dangerous , Kenton is the head of security at Amaya.

Henderson is Stewart, a cultured intellectual from another era and one of the top technical minds working in Amaya’s secret development division.

Spaeny will portray Lyndon, a young, brilliant, and stubborn employee who works in Amaya’s secret development division.

Pill will play Katie, a gifted quantum physicist tapped by Forest to be his second in command at Amaya.

Garland is on-board to executive produce the series, alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA TV. Joining them for the ambitious project will be Eli Bush and Scott Rudin, whom Garland worked beside when crafting both ANNIHILATION and EX MACHINA.

“After reading all 8 scripts and hearing Alex’s brilliant vision and commitment to direct all of the epsiodes, it was an easy decision to order Devs to series.” said John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions about the pickup. “Alex is a visionary artist who with his partners has put together a stellar cast. We are grateful to Alex, Andrew, Allon, Scott, Eli and the brilliant casting team led by Carmen Cuba.”

I'll be honest, DEVS, you had me at Nick Offerman. I could listen to that man read a phone book and never get bored of hearing his iconic voice (or his adorably child-like laugh). Plus, the premise for the show sounds pretty cool. Garland has clearly proven himself to be a master of science fiction with the releases of both ANNIHILATION and EX MACHINA, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he presents with an extended eight-episode format. Here's hoping for big things from DEVS when it premieres on FX in 2019.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.